Toward the end of his #NeverTrump jeremiad Thursday morning, Mitt Romney invited his audience to pay close attention to how the Donald responded to his criticisms. “Watch how he responds to my speech today. Will he talk about our policy differences, or will he attack me with every imaginable low-road insult?” the last GOP nominee asked.
As it happens, Trump picked option one, delivering a polite but devastating critique of the Republican consensus on economics and foreign policy. Just kidding! In front of a raucous crowd in Maine Thursday afternoon, the Donald drove down the lowest roads he could find. Here are six of the most memorable:
On how desperate Romney was for his endorsement four years ago: “He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, ‘Mitt, drop to your knees,’ and he would have dropped to his knees.’”
On Romney’s failed 2012 run: “Mitt is, indeed, a choke artist. He choked. And he choked like I’ve never seen anyone choke.”
On Rubio’s disastrous New Hampshire debate: “Rubio, of Florida: That was one of the greatest chokes I’ve ever seen. He was standing there, shaking, sweating. I was getting ready to grab him because I thought he was going down.”
On Romney’s final month of campaigning: “Obama, say what you want, he was on Jay Leno, he was on David Letterman. He was all over the place the last three or four weeks. Mitt was looking for zoning for nine-car garages up in California!”
On how Romney is such a lightweight, even Jeb(!) Bush could push him around: “Jeb Bush actually convinced Mitt not to run. Can you imagine? Jeb! Jeb sold him. He’s a good salesman! See, now that he’s out, I’ll say that Jeb is a good salesman; he’s a high-energy salesman. But Mitt was afraid of Jeb, because he was afraid Jeb would get the money … I wasn’t afraid of Jeb, I can tell you that!
On how he has put a damper on Bill and Hillary Clinton’s marital life: “She called me sexist, and I hit her with the husband, and that was the last time I heard the word sexist. They had a rough weekend. Bill was not happy. I can guarantee you, he said, ‘Don’t you ever say that to him again! Say it to someone else, but not to Trump.’”
